10. Kylee
ten
Kylee
Idon't know anything about rival motorcycle clubs, but the suffocating air in the room tells me everything I need to know. This is serious.
I hadn't spoken much to Cerberus during my time here, but it doesn't take long to realize why people fear him. He doesn't just speak; every word out of his mouth is a low, dangerous growl that vibrates right through the floorboards.
As Cerberus explains that a rival club—the Outlaw Sinners—was the one that targeted me, Casper’s grip on me tightens.
"They've been trying to set us up for weeks, between both your club and the Fallen Saints." Cerberus huffs out his frustration and looks at Casper. "It looks like their plan almost worked. They got the reaction they set out for. If we didn't have her, you could have done some serious damage."
If I weren't here with them, Orthrus had already made it pretty clear.
The men who'd first kidnapped me had no intention of letting me free.
For their plan to work, they would've killed me and dumped my body off somewhere, giving Casper and his club the time to fight and search, using them as a weapon without knowledge.
They're terrible people.
"Axel and his group have been a pain in my ass for years." Dante shakes his head. "I couldn't risk him trying to join with Azrael to attack us. Two years ago, our club was barely a force to be reckoned with. Now we're stronger."
Cerberus nods. "I know. I'm well aware of what your club is capable of.
That's why I'm seeing this as an opportunity to get to know each other better.
Help us take down the Sinners, let us take their territory, and you won't have to worry about us pulling such cowardly tricks. " He looks my way, making me shiver.
"I still don't trust you." Casper feels stiff against me, and he soothes himself by stroking my hair. "Last I recall, I got a blade to the gut from one of your dogs. Or, are you going to tell me that was one of Axel's, too?"
"You killed one of mine first. A small stab wound is hardly much to start bitching about." Cerberus sits back dismissively, not trying to deny it. "We wanted to talk,” he says, shrugging. “I’ll admit my boys should’ve explained that bit better, but what happened, happened. You’re still breathing."
Listening to them go back and forth with Dante pinching his brow, I stare at Casper's face.
Realizing I've never seen him go this long without his glasses, I take in the pale shade of his eyes.
Mid-sentence, the hostile edge of his voice simply evaporates.
He catches me staring, and for a split second, the fierce biker disappears, leaving only the guy with the pretty blue eyes.
"Azrael won't want to sacrifice his men in vain.
He's more of a planner and uses his head for the most part.
" Dante tells him he has his hands too full right now to start an outright war with another club.
But if the Hounds get cornered, their club will help.
After all, he can't see past them acting like snakes.
"They kidnapped his sister, once upon a time," Casper explains to me in a soft voice. "He's been wanting to take them down since."
Dante grunts, not acknowledging his words.
The complicated topic blurs into words I hardly understand. Thankfully, the conversation doesn't last much longer. All Casper has to hear is that we're free to go, and he's all but rushing me out of here.
He does stop momentarily to thank Orthrus, and though it seems to pain him, he apologizes too.
Before I know what's happening, we're outside. It's only then that I realize how much time has passed since I've been taken. The sun is barely clinging to the sky.
Casper hardly gets past snapping the helmet onto my head before a hand yanks him backward. He doesn't even stumble; he just sighs like he’d been expecting it.
"Do that shit again, and I will kill you." Dante gives him a good shake, clearly angry.
The laugh that leaves him only makes his friend angrier. By now, I've realized Casper isn't the kind of man who runs hot often.
"I've got to put on some weight. Too many people are able to throw me around.
" Joking at a terrible time, Casper's laughter dies off, replaced by something much quieter, much more genuine.
"Thanks for putting your life on the line, man.
But I'll be honest. When it comes to Kylee, I'm going to keep doing stupid things. I can't help it."
My cheeks heat at his admission. Dante stares at Casper for a long, silent beat, searching his friend's face.
He looks at me next, a heavy, evaluating gaze that makes me hold my breath, before he finally lets out a rough, defeated scoff.
He shoves Casper away, but the lethal edge is gone from his posture.
"Stay out of trouble, both of you," Dante grunts, turning away to mount his bike. "We'll talk to the others about Axel tomorrow. For now—"
"There's only one place I want to be, and I promise, it is far away from trouble." Giving him a cheeky grin, he nudges my side. "Once we get a delivery out of the way, nothing's going to get in our way, I promise."
Him and that delivery. I'm thankful his helmet is covering my face, because Dante doesn't have a clue of the significance of that shipment.
Nodding my head to agree with him, it's the best I can do as Dante's bike roars to life.
We follow suit, getting on Casper's bike. After throwing on his sunglasses, he shoots me a smile and grabs my hands, wrapping my arms around him.
"I'm going to go really fast, so I need you to hold on tight."
Taking his warning seriously, we shoot off, leaving the clubhouse far in the distance.
Casper takes me back to my book shop, and I find it's not empty.
Thanatos is sitting at one of the tables with a book in his hands while two other people with prospect patches work on painting.
Thankfully, they're covering up the terrible drawing that was painted earlier.
Already half-covered, it looks nearly brand new.
Thanatos looks up just as the bell finishes ringing. His eyes instantly lock onto me, a familiar smirk curving his lips as he sets his book down. He doesn't just look at me; he appraises me, and Casper notices.
Without a word, he yanks me flush against his side, burying his fingers deep into my hip. It’s an utterly possessive hold—and he keeps his eyes locked dead on Thanatos as he slowly lowers his head to press a lingering kiss against my hair.
I'd let out a laugh at how ridiculous he wants to act, but my poor heart is jumping around in my chest.
Thanatos raises his hands in a mock surrender, holding Casper’s gaze for one last tense beat before returning his attention to the book that I'm sure he's stolen off one of the shelves.
"You know..." Casper releases me to prop the door, hiding my storage, open. "I was going to put the idea out there before, but have you considered moving the shop to somewhere with more potential? Maybe a place with more visibility?"
As he steals an empty box and starts loading it with the books I set aside, I consider his question.
"I only ask now, because you're not exactly in our territory. If you were, I could spend a lot more time with you." He sets down another book and lifts his gaze. "I could find you a place with nice display windows. Not on a strip, but your very own building."
Tempted to ask him why he'd do such a thing for me, the answer is obvious. He likes me.
Fighting off a blush, I work to help him with another box. "I could consider a change of scenery. But you already know I barely make enough to scrap by, right?"
"Let me take care of you, Kylee. Give me the green light, and I promise you, you won't have to worry ever again about making ends meet.
" He lets out a little chuckle. "I'll let you in on a secret.
A lot of the club's old ladies love reading.
Get within their distance, and you'll be meeting all of my brothers in no time. "
Sounding confident like he already has the answers, as if he's thought about all of this before, I consider his words before nodding.
Casper has proved himself tonight. Not knowing what had happened to me, he'd run in without hesitation toward danger. How can I not put my faith in him after that?
"Okay. I'll trust you. Let's see what happens." Standing with the box, I already know it's going to take another two to get all of these books out of here.
Trying not to smile at the sounds of a mini celebration happening at my back, I use the door in the back to load up my van. For a little while, I'm too distracted to think about what's going to happen once we're done loading things up.
Thanatos and his crew are out before we finish, and once there's nothing to do but lock up, I pause long enough to imagine taking this place differently.
"Just so you know, I don't want you to hand me everything." Looking at Casper and realizing he's been watching me, I try to frown so he'll take me seriously. "I like working for things."
His smile softens, and he nods. "Luckily for you, Cash will be the one handling the details. He's not the kind of guy to give things away. We'll be in trouble if we're caught slacking."
I like that he speaks for both of us, like he's in this with me, too.
"Now, I'm ready to call this day over. Can we leave?"
Snorting at his whine, I'm nodding. "You and me both. Let's go."
Casper guides me through town, stopping at a tall building. One of the taller ones in this town. Getting out, I'm left looking up at the stretch of at least four floors.
"Don't worry, there's an elevator." Casper follows my gaze.
"Dante and I share the top floor, while a good chunk of Steelwood lives throughout the lower floors.
If you were to want to spend a lot of your time here, you'd be safe.
Wouldn't have to worry about a repeat of today happening. I'd put my life on it."
Noting the weight behind his words, I simmer on them as I meet his gaze.
Is this his way of asking me to move in? Considering his request, I try not to smile when I notice the light flush to the back of his neck. After seeing all the sides of this man, I think his bashful side is my favorite.
"I'll have to think about it. Cutting my drive time doesn't sound too bad." Teasing him with a possible yes, I'm the first to move. Assuming I can figure out how to get to the top, be it by myself or not, Casper stumbles to follow.
The first trip to the top is too quick to look around. However, once we drop off the last two boxes at the front of his home, the opportunity arises. Unfortunately, I don't get the chance to take it. The moment my hands are free, he's crowding me against the nearest wall.
"For the last two hours, I have not been able to think about anything but kissing you," he murmurs as he traps me within his space. "Can I?"
"If I tell you no, will you survive?" Biting my lip to contain my smile, I don't miss the pain in his expression. It immediately melts away as I grasp his jacket. Looking up at me, I try to look past those dark shades. "You really want me?"
He nudges closer, nodding. "So badly that I don't know what to do with myself half of the time."
His hands find my waist, his grip firm as he lifts me slightly, pressing my hips flush against his. The sudden, intense heat of his body makes me gasp, and he uses the breath to crowd closer, burying his face in my neck.
"One kiss," I whisper, my fingers tightening on his shoulders as a delicious shiver runs down my spine. "After that—"
He doesn't let me finish. His mouth slants over mine, hard and demanding, his tongue sliding past my lips to completely steal the rest of the sentence.
As he parts my lips easily, his tongue plunges deep to sweep across mine with a fierce, slick hunger.
It’s an open-mouthed, consuming wreck of a kiss.
I moan into his mouth, and he uses the opportunity to push deeper, his tongue tangling with mine in a desperate rhythm that mirrors exactly what he wants to do to me.
It’s slick and intoxicating, his pace so demanding that I can only cling to his jacket, completely overwhelmed by the way he drinks me in like he’s dying of thirst.
Pulling away only when we're both deprived of oxygen, he buries his face in my neck, taking deep, shaking breaths of my scent like he’s trying to brand it into his lungs.
When his hands slide down to cup the back of my thighs, lifting me slightly so I'm flush against his heat, it's clear he isn't just kissing me—he's completely consumed by me.
"Stay with me tonight," he murmurs, his breath tickling my throat. "I really don't think I'll survive being separated from you and not knowing you're safe."
It feels like what happened today scared him more than it had scared me, as impossible as that sounds.
"I need to clean up if I am." Stroking the back of his neck, I wrap my limbs around him, shaking my sandals off until they're hitting the ground. "Especially if we keep going. I'm disgusting, Casper."
Not only had he had his face between my thighs this morning, but I've been doused in the summer heat for enough of today, sweating from both the brutal temperature and nerves of facing the unknown. As much as I want to continue this, I don't want to scare him away with my current state.
He chuckles against my racing pulse. "I'd lick you clean if you let me."
Wanting to put his words as a joke, he sounds all too serious. "Casper. Shower, please."
A low groan vibrates out of him before he pulls back, taking me with him. "Now that you've put it in my head, a shower sounds nice. Yeah, let's do it."
Suspicious of how willing he suddenly is, I have no choice but to cling to him as he takes us to our next destination.